Extending planning permission for the major regeneration project creating new homes, jobs and public spaces along the River Lagan.
CGI of the proposed Waterside Belfast Development facing east across the River Lagan.
Welcome to the public consultation website for The Waterside Belfast regeneration project
What is the Purpose of this Consultation?
Swinford (Sirocco) Ltd is seeking to extend the duration (by three years) of the previously granted outline planning permission (LA04/2018/0811/O) for The Waterside Belfast, to mitigate the delays to development cause by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent market recovery.
The proposals will transform this long-vacant site into a vibrant mixed-use destination including homes, offices, community facilities, leisure uses and high-quality public spaces.
This website provides information on the proposals and explains how you can share your views as part of the Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) process associated with a renewal of planning permission.
Swinford (Sirocco) Ltd are the owners of The Waterside Belfast site.
Working with an experienced team of architects, planners and consultants, the company is bringing forward proposals to regenerate this important city centre location and sure the delivery of this landmark development along the River Lagan in the coming years.
About the Applicant
Proposed redline outline of the development site in context with the wider area.
Where is the Proposed Site?
The Belfast Waterside site is located on the east bank of the River Lagan, adjacent to the Short Strand neighbourhood and within walking distance of Belfast city centre.
The site sits between Bridge End to the north and the Albert Bridge / Short Strand area to the south and has remained vacant for over two decades following the closure of the historic Sirocco Rope Works.
The location benefits from strong accessibility, including:
Walking distance to Belfast City Centre
Close proximity to Lanyon Place Station and key bus routes
Connections to Titanic Quarter and East Belfast
Direct frontage onto the River Lagan
The proposals aim to reconnect this site with the surrounding communities and create new pedestrian links along the waterfront.
CGI aerial of the proposed Waterside Belfast Development.
Delivering New Homes
There was strong support for the provision of homes on the site, particularly social and affordable homes. The plans include social, affordable, private rent and private for sale homes.
As this is a city centre site and to help deliver the city’s growth ambitions, our scheme includes up to 675 high quality apartments, including social housing. These will be surrounded by well-designed areas of public realm and open space.
CGI of the approved Waterside Belfast Development taken overlooking the central square area.
Supporting the City’s Agenda
The approved development seeks to align with the council’s recently developed strategies (Belfast Agenda, BCC Local Development Plan and the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy) and fully supports the Council’s aims for job creation, residential growth and development of high quality places in the city centre. Once completed, The Waterside Belfast will create c.5,500 new onsite jobs, alongside new construction jobs, which will contribute directly to the local economy.
Public realm and open space will enhance the active ground floor uses of residential and office buildings and will foster a sense of place and community. Set amongst other uses including local retail and professional services, cafes/bars/ restaurants and community and cultural uses these spaces will foster a new sense of place and community.
Delivering High-Quality Public Realm & Open Space
Site area: 61,695 sq m / 6.2ha (excluding the extent of the boundary encompassing the River Lagan)
Open space: 31,188 sq m / 3.2ha
Inner courtyards: 5,777sq m / 0.57ha
Public realm: 26,220 sq m / 2.6ha
Green: 13,258 sq m / 1.3ha (20% of open space + courtyards)
CGI of the Waterside Belfast Development taken at the riverside promenade.
About the Consultation Team
The applicant is supported by a consultancy team which includes Turley as the Planning and Communication Consultants.
We are currently undertaking pre-application community consultation to engage with the local community on the renewal of the planning permission. During this period, we will be running a range of in-person and digital consultation mechanisms, to ensure we accurately capture the views of those living near to the proposed development.
Pre-application Community Consultation
If you would like to order a printed hard copy of our proposals, please call us on our Freephone hotline 0808 1688 296. We can also share a proposal pack via email.
Explore our proposals
To order one, simply send an email requesting a digital information pack to: contact@belfastwaterside.co.uk
Give us a call
If you would like a member of the team to explain our proposals over the phone, you can call our Freephone consultation hotline on 0808 1688 296. A member of the team will call you back and will be able to answer any questions you have about the development.
Chat to our Team
You can use the live chat function on this website to talk to a member of the project team who will be available Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm to respond to your queries.
Join our public information event
We will be hosting a public information event at The Mount Business & Conference Centre, 2 Woodstock Link, Belfast BT6 8DD, from 3-7pm on Thursday 26th March 2026.
Members of the project team will be on hand to listen to your comments and answer your questions.
This pre-application community consultation has been developed to engage with interested members of the public, local residents, and all interested parties as part of the Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) process.
A full planning application for the proposed renewal will then be submitted to Belfast City Council.
The application will be accompanied by a Pre-Application Community Consultation Report summarising all feedback.
Next Steps
The closing date to provide your feedback on the proposals is Friday 17th April 2026 at 5pm.